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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26678254">The In Between Times</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FizzingWizard/pseuds/FizzingWizard'>FizzingWizard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Digimon Adventure: (Anime 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Camping, Gen, dont expect too much, i just wanted an excuse to write about the kids trying to cook and failing, the boring stuff that doesnt make it into the show</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:47:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,760</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26678254</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FizzingWizard/pseuds/FizzingWizard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>By day they're gathering companions and searching for the Holy Digimon. By night... what the heck do they do at night? This is the fic that tries to answer that burning question.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Taichi - The First Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>So, current events in the Digimon reboot, the kids have 72 hours to fix the power outage in Tokyo before it's a total blackout. Until episode 16, there was a time lag as well, meaning time in the digital world ran faster than in the human world.</p><p>But the show is a fast-paced shonen anime so it’s all about action!! and not so much the little moments of downtime and camp-out camaraderie that let us really feel as if time is passing. I miss that.</p><p>SO! Since I can't get a job on the writing staff... here’s a fic about What The Kids Did At Night. Didn't think I'd write a fic for this series this early on but the muse does what she will!</p><p>Last note: I have no idea how large the time lag is, so I’m just putting in a “night” wherever I feel like one is needed. Three days RL = maybe six in the digital world. Mainly because that’s how many nights I feel like writing about.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Taichi wasn't paying attention to the time until Sora stopped, a hand shading her eyes as she peered at the treetops.</p><p>"The sun's getting low," she said.</p><p>"I can't see very well," Mimi added, rubbing her arms. It wasn't particularly cold, but Taichi didn't say anything about it.</p><p>Instead he looked down at his feet, where his shadow had grown long, getting lost in the tangle of undergrowth on the forest floor. All the ferns and bushes were tinted a reddish-gold. High above, stars studded the purpling sky.</p><p>"Should we... find somewhere to sleep?" Sora asked after a beat, something leading in her tone of voice.</p><p>He very slowly realized they were waiting for him to say something.</p><p>"Uh... sure," he said. "I mean, it's not <em>that</em> dark yet, we could maybe walk another hour or so."</p><p>Mimi looked crestfallen. <em>Oh -</em> she had been hoping he'd agree. "My feet <em>hurt!"</em> she whined.</p><p>"We could keep going," Sora said. "But don't you think if we wait to stop till it gets darker, it might be hard to see what we're doing? We need to eat, make a fire..."</p><p>"I can take care of the fire," Agumon piped in.</p><p>"Yeah, fire's no problem for us." Taichi patted the top of his partner's head. Agumon's chest swelled. "So we'll have light, don't worry about that."</p><p>Sora still looked uncertain. "I just... would feel better if we didn't push it," she said at last, brow knit. Next to her, Mimi's hands were clasped together, as if in prayer.</p><p>This was getting ridiculous.</p><p>Taichi shrugged. "Okay, fine with me. Let's stop for now."</p><p>Immediately the two girls perked up. "Alright!" Mimi threw her arms in the air.</p><p>"We'll be sleeping on the ground outside though," Taichi warned her, expecting her to complain a little. At home Mimi probably slept on two mattresses covered in fluffy blankets, ensconced in plentiful pillows, with a host of stuffed animal attendants. And all of it would be pink.</p><p>But she waved away his concern. "Oh, I slept on the ground in the palace Palmon and the Tanemon built for me anyway," she said. Ah... he'd forgotten she'd been here longer than him. (Also, that place counted as a "palace"?) "If you can stack enough of those big leaves and fronds it's pretty comfortable."</p><p>"W-Well... cool." He glanced at Sora, but she had already knelt to the ground and was going through her bag of supplies. So apparently they were going to camp right here, then. "Uh, then I'll leave it to you to find the best leaves to sleep on. And Sora, you guys can get started on food?"</p><p>Sora nodded without looking up. She'd pulled out a couple bottles of water and some plastic utensils. Piyomon appeared to be trying to carry an entire picnic blanket herself. Taichi thought about mentioning to Sora that she was chewing her lip, like she often did when she was thinking. It was a habit he knew she was trying to kick. Something stopped him though.</p><p>Then Agumon plucked his sleeve. "What about me?"</p><p>"Warm up your muscles," Taichi grinned down at him. "We're gonna do some heavy labor."</p><p>He'd only seen it in pictures in his Scout's Companion Guide to the Wilderness, but a makeshift lean-to didn't seem particularly difficult to figure out. At least, not with a Digimon companion to do most of the work. Taichi helped where he could, dragging logs Agumon found or felled back to their campsite, patting down the foliage until it somewhat resembled a floor. They had some trouble tying the branches off until Mimi and Palmon came back and Palmon's vines made short work of wrapping the rope around the trees. Then it was just a matter of lining the logs up diagonal to the frame they'd made and packing them with leaves. The end result, well, it wasn't very pretty. But it didn't have to be. It just had to work.</p><p>"Wow, that looks great, Taichi-san!" Mimi exclaimed, jumping up and down.</p><p>Sora hummed in agreement. "It'll be good to have if it rains."</p><p>Taichi laughed and decided not to point out it would be totally useless if it rained. They'd be lucky not to get covered in mud if a strong gust of wind knocked it over on them. But the girls were already moving the leaf beds and picnic blanket under the lean-to. Whatever. At least they were happy.</p><p>It was dark without question by now, and Taichi felt exhaustion wash over him. Building that contraption had taken more time than he'd thought. Belatedly he realized the others were gathering for the dinner Sora had prepared, probably a while ago. He dragged his tired legs toward the fire Agumon had made and dropped down in front of it like a rock.</p><p>Dinner was slices of fruit from the Tanemon village Mimi had in her bag, along with sides of biscuits and wakame rice from Sora's emergency supplies. The biscuits were hard and chalky and the rice watery, but they were all so hungry no one much cared. And the fruit was delicious. The taste was similar to honeydew melon but with a texture like cream cheese. It'd be perfect in a cake, Mimi declared.</p><p>After eating they cleaned up, and since everyone was having trouble keeping their eyes open, they wound up going straight to bed. Taichi crawled under the lean-to and kicked off his shoes and socks. Next to him, Sora and Mimi were doing the same.</p><p>"I hate sleeping in my clothes," Mimi sighed, picking at her feet. "I wish you had spare pajamas, Sora-san."</p><p>"Spare pajamas weren't on the list of emergency supplies," Sora murmured. "But I do want a bath."</p><p>A groan. "My feet look like a man's!"</p><p>"Aw. Those blisters look painful. You need better hiking shoes."</p><p>"Well, it's not like I knew I'd be hiking all over! I wish you could find a plant that makes good skin lotion, Palmon. Like aloe vera."</p><p>"What's skin lotion?"</p><p>"Hold on, Mimi-chan, I'll get you a bandage."</p><p>Taichi listened to the girls' chit-chat lying on his side, facing away. Tired though he was, his mind wouldn't stop whirring. He didn't even know what to think of first. Getting across the ocean. Stopping the blackout. Getting home...</p><p>He felt something poke the small of his back. Then Agumon's nostrils sent a puff of warm air over his skin as his partner snuggled up to him.</p><p>"Taichi..." Agumon gave a huge yawn. "I'm sleepy."</p><p>"Your breath stinks." Reaching around, Taichi pulled Agumon in, and it was better than having an electric blanket. Funny, Agumon looked like some type of cold-blooded lizard, but he gave off heat like a furnace. Agumon's eyes closed. Taichi let his fingers trace feather-light along Agumon's snout, up and over the bridge of his nose. Agumon didn't seem to mind. He was already deep in sleep.</p><p>Taichi wasn't even sure how soon he <em>wanted</em> to go home.</p><p>---</p><p>"Taichi."</p><p>Someone was shaking him awake. "Whuh?"</p><p>"Your digivice. I think Koushirou-kun's calling you." Taichi blinked bleary eyes until he could make out Sora leaning over him. Her tousled hair was full of sticks and leaves. Some things were inevitable when sleeping in the woods.</p><p>It was dark except for the glow of his digivice, which was beeping incessantly. Taichi looked over Sora's shoulder at Mimi, but she seemed still asleep. For that matter, so did Agumon. "Okay, I'm gonna talk to him outside," he said, standing up. (Though their shelter didn't quite qualify as "inside.")</p><p>He didn't bother with his socks, stepping right into his shoes and tramping towards the remains of their fire pit. "Koushirou?" He squatted down with his digivice held close to his ear.</p><p>
  <em>"Taichi-san?"</em>
</p><p>"Hey, it's me. Everything cool?"</p><p>
  <em>"Yes. It's 'cool.' Were you sleeping?"</em>
</p><p>"Yeah, but no biggie."</p><p>
  <em>"Oh, is it nighttime?"</em>
</p><p>"Huh, your fancy computer can't tell time?"</p><p>Koushirou gave an indignant huff. <em>"First of all, time is a construct. Second, yes it can tell time, but given that the environment here never changes, it's hard for me to keep track."</em></p><p>Taichi frowned. "What d'you mean, the environment never changes?" He picked up a stick, scratching circles in the ashes.</p><p>
  <em>"I mean it's just a never-ending white void."</em>
</p><p>"Oh, that's what things looked like when I came here the first time. But now we're in some sort of jungle."</p><p><em>"Kabuterimon told me the true digital world is full of trees and plants and even oceans, but I haven't seen any of it yet."</em> Koushirou sounded a bit forlorn, Taichi thought.</p><p>"Catch up with us quick. Then you'll see lots. More than you want."</p><p><em>"Will do."</em> He paused. <em>"Well, I guess I should let you go back to sleep. I'm kind of tired too, even if it doesn't feel like night."</em></p><p>"Wait a minute." Taichi's stick hovered in the air. "You still haven't told me the reason you called."</p><p>
  <em>"Huh? O-Oh, I... there was no reason. I just hadn't heard from you in a while so I thought I'd check in."</em>
</p><p>"Hmm." A grin tugged at his mouth. "Were you bored? Lonely?"</p><p>
  <em>"N-No! A-Anyway, I've got Kabuterimon with me."</em>
</p><p><em>"H'llo,"</em> boomed a strange voice, which Taichi assumed must belong to Koushirou's partner.</p><p>"Hi, Kabu... terimon." Taichi's tongue tripped over the unfamiliar name. "Hey, could you tell Koushirou to take a nap? Even if there aren't any stars where you guys are, human beings still need sleep."</p><p>
  <em>"Taichi-san! I don't need mothering! Wait, you can see stars where you are?"</em>
</p><p>"Yeah, I told you, it's night and we're in a jungle or something."</p><p>
  <em>"Wow! Do you see any constellations you recognize?"</em>
</p><p>"Uh..." Although knowing he wouldn't be able to tell one star from another even in his home world, Taichi still craned his neck back to gaze at the stars above. "Not really?"</p><p>
  <em>"Interesting... It sounds as though the digital plane where you are is a facsimile of our world, so I wonder if the stars themselves look the same. That would be singularly impressive, given that the stars are always moving. I wonder which hemisphere they replicate."</em>
</p><p>"Dunno. Get your butt over here and see for yourself."</p><p><em>"That's the plan,"</em> Kabuterimon chuckled. <em>"Koushirou can sleep on my back and leave the flying to me."</em></p><p>Taichi started to agree, but yawned at that exact moment.</p><p><em>"Okay, I get the hint."</em> Koushirou sounded amused. In his mind's eye, Taichi could see the shy smile unfurling on his face. <em>"Talk to you later, Taichi-san."</em></p><p>"Yeah, see you."</p><p>He stuffed his digivice back in his pocket and headed back to the shelter, stifling another yawn. He almost tripped over Sora, who was sitting up, arms wrapped around her knees.</p><p>"You didn't have to wait up for me," he said as he flopped down on the leaf bed, which was not half as comfortable as Mimi made it sound. Probably needed more fronds.</p><p>Sora gave a subdued shake of her head. "What did Koushirou-kun say?" she asked.</p><p>He shrugged. "Nothing much. Just wanted to talk, I think."</p><p>"Oh." He thought she looked a bit relieved. He couldn't blame her, a call from Koushirou most often meant another update on the increasingly volatile situation back home.</p><p>Sora pulled her knees in closer. "Hey Taichi... sorry if I sounded annoyed earlier."</p><p>"Huh?" He picked a few twigs out of her hair. "When?"</p><p>"When we were deciding if we should stop for the night or not. I just -"</p><p>"You were annoyed?" His fingers rubbed together, snapping the twigs into tiny pieces and leaving them in the dirt.</p><p>"No, well - not at you, I mean, the situation. But - I thought you might think that I meant you."</p><p>"... Huh?"</p><p>She gave a soft laugh. Her lip popped out from her teeth, and he hadn't noticed she'd been chewing it again. "You know what, never mind."</p><p>"Never mind <em>what?"</em></p><p>"Go to sleep, Taichi." She turned away from him, and that meant she was done talking. He understood body language.</p><p>He rolled his eyes though, shifting so that he could tuck Agumon back under his chin. Sora might be basically his best friend, but she was still a girl. Girls were so weird.</p><p>He really was tired though, and drifted off without giving it too much more thought.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So that’s how the first night went down! Now you know. I’m sure you were wondering. At least my muse is appeased, if nothing else.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Yamato - The Second Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Since the kids do take a break at the start of episode 10, this chapter is technically the second and third nights, I guess. It looks like they broke into the fortress by night, then escaped to the cave when it was clear they couldn't win against MetalTyrannomon. By the time they make their next move it's day again, and I just kind of doubt anyone got much sleep when they could be attacked at any time. So I'm inserting another stop for the night where they can get some real sleep right before they split up to search for the holy Digimon. Eh, I mostly just wanted to write about Yamato when he still barely knows anyone :P</p><p>PS I'm sure there's lots of typos, but it's 2 am and I shouldn't up this late... I'll check it tomorrow!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They might have missed the cave altogether had the first rays of dawn not come twinkling through the branches at that moment. Once he spotted the craggy gap in the stone, Yamato didn't hesitate. "In here," he called, gesturing for the others to follow, and ran inside himself. He and Gabumon scanned around for any sign that the cave might already be inhabited. It seemed they were in luck. Just in time too, because the others poured into the cave like a tidal wave, sped on by pure survival instinct.</p><p>The tall nerdy kid with the smudged glasses threw himself face-first on the ground, ending up with a mouth full of dirt. He let out a pitiful groan that reminded Yamato of air slowly escaping from a balloon.</p><p>One of the two girls, wearing a pink dress and fussing over her hat, soon collapsed besides him, offering up similar complaints. The brainy kid who Yamato had met before (in a manner of speaking) sat down with his tablet computer settled on his legs and resumed typing away. The only time Yamato had seen him do anything different so far had been when he was running for his life.</p><p>"MetalTyrannomon," the kid (Izumi, was it?) muttered, his thick brow a tight, pensive knot. "Perfect level... Maybe I can..." He trailed off, and Yamato didn't bother asking him to elaborate.</p><p>He had other priorities.</p><p>As soon as he entered the cave, Yagami had stopped running, but he didn't stop to catch his breath. He still held Agumon cradled in his arms. The expression on his face looked almost bad as his injured partner. Yagami carried him over to a small ledge and set him down ever so gently, as if handling a porcelain figure.</p><p>The other girl, the redhead, hovered nearby, and eventually Yamato overheard her suggest wiping Agumon down with a cool cloth. A grateful look spread across Yagami's face. He seemed relieved just to have something to do, other than try to help Agumon recover by sheer force of will.</p><p>Red Hair took out a towel and a water bottle from her bag. As she soaked the towel, she turned and murmured something to her partner. "Okay!" chirped the bird, flapping her wings. She landed next to Gabumon. "Do you think you can find some leaves or something to make this rock a bit more comfortable for Agumon?" she asked. "I'm going to find some food. He'll be famished when he wakes up."</p><p>"I'll come with you." Izumi's partner raised his... leg?</p><p>"Me too!" the flower creature chimed in.</p><p>Gabumon tilted his head to catch Yamato's eye. "You know you don't have to ask," Yamato said softly.</p><p>With a smile, Gabumon followed the others into the jungle. Yamato hoped they wouldn't be long. Soundbirdmon was on watch somewhere out there, MetalTyrannomon not far behind. But if Gabumon wanted to do something to help Agumon, Yamato wasn't about to stop him.</p><p>Yagami ran the damp towel over Agumon's body, crusted mud and sand sloughing off bit by bit. Red Hair held Agumon's claw in her hand, gently massaging it. Neither said much, but Yagami seemed more at ease with her there. Some of the tension drained from his shoulders as he moved the towel in methodical circles. Yamato was glad he seemed more relaxed, because they had to Talk. Yagami had been this close to trying to fight MetalTyrannomon <em>himself</em> even after his partner got K.O.'d, and Yamato certainly had Opinions on that stunt.</p><p>"Listen," he began, taking a step closer.</p><p>Yagami turned around. Yamato couldn't quite hide the shock that went through him when he got a glimpse of Yagami's quivering chin, the ruddy stains high in his cheeks. He looked like he was barely holding back tears. "What?" he asked, and the stubborn line of his mouth didn't budge even when his voice wavered, as if determined to make it seem like everything was normal. A valiant effort, but he didn't fool Yamato. His eyes gave him away.</p><p>"... Never mind." They would still need to talk, of course. But... later.</p><p>He shrank away to post himself at the mouth of the cave, ostensibly to keep watch, and tried to ignore how much seeing Yagami so distressed bothered him.</p><p>---</p><p>"I can't believe I've done more in the last day - or day and a half, I guess - than I have in my entire life." Tall And Nerdy sagged forward with a sigh, bending his reedy body in an S shape. "First there was that giant squid. Boy, does that feel like a long time ago. Then we rode Ikkakumon across the sea, and <em>then</em> we attacked some weird military base. As if that wasn't enough, my textbook disintegrated in that acidic lake thanks to Mimi-kun."</p><p>"It's funny how the days feel so long and so short at the same time here, isn't it." Red Hair had taken off her hat and was dabbing her forehead with a towel from her seemingly endless supply.</p><p>"They don't feel short to me! Not at all! My feet are killing me!" The whiny girl in the baffling pink cowgirl dress turned to the redhead with a pleading expression. "I need another bandage, Sora-san!"</p><p>"Blisters? You should give your feet a soak in Epsom salts. Lets the fluid drain."</p><p>"Do you have Epsom salts, Jou-senpai?"</p><p>"... Well no, I was just suggesting -"</p><p>"Why bother!"</p><p>Yamato remained hunched at the mouth of the cave, trying to block them out. For the most part he was unsuccessful.</p><p>He was used to working alone, after all, and these people were... noisy.</p><p>Nestled against him but not quite asleep yet was Gabumon, a warm, lethargic ball of fur pressing into his side. Across from them, Izumi once again sat frowning at his tablet computer. This appeared to be his natural state. He too seemed to be trying to avoid the noise coming from deeper in the cave, where the others were concocting some form of dinner.</p><p>MetalTyrannomon was defeated, so that made it a victory dinner of sorts. He couldn't blame them for wanting to celebrate. It had been quite a day.</p><p>In the morning, they planned to split up into two groups. Since the most direct path to the holy Digimon was blocked by that terrifying miasma, one group would take the left route and the other would go right. If all went well, they'd reach their rendezvous point without any trouble and finally be able to do something about the blackout in Tokyo.</p><p>That was the <em>only</em> reason Yamato was still here. Though hard to admit, he'd only managed to break into the fortress so quickly because of his new traveling companions. It could have taken him days to figure out a safer way in alone, and according Izumi, they working with a tight deadline.</p><p>(Another point in favor of sticking with this group - Izumi could keep tabs on what was happening back home, despite the time lag. Even Yamato couldn't help but feel a little in awe of his powers. Seriously, where had Yagami found this wiz kid?) </p><p>Otherwise he'd be long gone by now, he was sure of it. Once he knew they weren't going to get themselves killed or anything, and that they weren't totally helpless when left to their own devices. Already he felt restless. With every minute that passed, Takeru remained in danger. Truth be told, he didn't <em>want</em> to stop for the night, and he wouldn't have if the others weren't so set on it.</p><p>Not to mention, he had been pushing Gabumon. Never against his will; more than anyone, Gabumon understood why he drove himself so hard. Even so... he deserved a rest.</p><p>There was a fire going now, casting flickering shadows on the cavern walls. Red Hair, Tall And Nerdy, and Pink Dress all crouched close to the flames and began wrapping aluminum foil around some sort of tuber that allegedly tasted like sweet potatoes. Their chatter petered off to a low murmur, broken up with peels of laughter, most often from Pink Dress. It was a marked change from how dour they'd all been that morning.</p><p>Yamato fingered the harmonica in his pocket. If he were alone right now (except for Gabumon, of course) he'd play something. Music always helped him wind down.</p><p>Just then the sound of footsteps approaching quickly caught his ear. His hand tightened around the harmonica before he let go and stood, senses on alert. An instant later, Gabumon leapt to his feet too. (Izumi didn't budge, even when the footsteps came close enough that anyone should be able to hear them.)</p><p>Yagami and his partner entered the cave loaded down with bags, and Yamato dropped his guard some. Yagami's hair looked even more a mess than normal, but he was grinning from ear to ear. It was starting to trip Yamato up, the way Yagami could work with him so well in the heat of battle, then turn around and shoot off this absolutely dopey grin. Noticing Yamato, he held up a bag with a look of triumph.</p><p>"What's that?" Yamato let his eyes narrow.</p><p>"Fish!" Yagami crowed.</p><p>"We caught lots!" Agumon added. Gabumon shuffled over to him and gave the bag a sniff. His fur bristled with excitement.</p><p>"Where did you find them?" Yamato asked. Yagami was now standing in front of Izumi, dangling  his catch above the tablet screen and lowering it little by little.</p><p>"That shore where we met up with you," he said.</p><p>Yamato's brow shot up. "You went all the way back there?"</p><p>Yagami shrugged. "It's not so far away. And it's deserted now. I just hope none of these guys," he gave the bag a shake, "were any of Gomamon's friends."</p><p>"That was <em>really dangerous,</em> you know," frowned Yamato, trying to inject as much disapproval into his tone as possible. Earlier he'd insisted on fighting MetalTyrannomon by himself, and now this?</p><p>"Amazing," Yagami said. Yamato quirked a brow, but Yagami was facing Izumi. "No reaction at all."</p><p>"Try kicking him," Agumon suggested.</p><p>"No! No kicking!" cried Izumi's insect-like partner, buzzing over from where he'd been talking to the other Digimon. "Danger Will Robinson! Koushirou-han, abort!"</p><p>"What?" Izumi's head lifted at last. On being confronted with a bag full of fish, he blinked twice and made a confused sputtering noise. "Hn?"</p><p>None of this made any sort of impression on Yagami. If anything, he looked even more proud. "Look at all the fish we caught. C'mon! Tonight we feast like kings."</p><p>"Well - well done." Izumi leaned away, fingers pinching his nose. "Are we going to roast them?"</p><p>"I mean, unless you prefer them raw."</p><p>"I am not sure those are quite sushi grade."</p><p>"Roasting it is."</p><p>They both scampered towards the campfire as Yamato looked on.</p><p>"Soraaa! Fish!"</p><p>"Ah!" Red Hair yelped as a bag of fish dropped in her arms. "Wow, seriously?"</p><p>The others oohed and gathered around her, peeking into the bag as if fish were some rare oddity.</p><p>"They look like mackerel!" exclaimed Pink Dress.</p><p>"I'm just now realizing I haven't had real food since yesterday," Izumi said.</p><p>"These aren't poison are they?" Tall And Nerdy pushed his glasses up his nose, grimacing.</p><p>"What kind of question is that? Anyway, Agumon already ate one, and he's fine. Thank us, your fish providers."</p><p>"I'll thank you after we eat," said Red Hair. "Now go get some sticks so we can cook them."</p><p>Yagami muttered under his breath. "Task master..." But he squared his shoulders and turned back the way he came. For some reason, Yamato followed him. He didn't have anything better to do after all.</p><p>Outside, Yagami started stamping around the foliage, nose to the ground like a hunting dog. "Help me look for roasting sticks," he said. He picked up a long, thick branch. "Hmm..."</p><p>"Way too big." Yamato easily found a thinner one. "Give me your pocket knife."</p><p>"It's Sora's." Yagami handed it over and watched as Yamato started whittling the tip of the stick into a point. "Wow, you're good at that."</p><p>"Mmm."</p><p>"Have you done it before?"</p><p>"Mmm."</p><p>Yagami stared at him. Yamato waited for him to make some quip like, "You sure are a chatterbox," or "Cat got your tongue?" Strangely, he didn't. He went back to scanning for sticks, now and then picking one up and inspecting it. When he had a bundle he brought them over to Yamato and dumped them on the ground, before sinking down next to him with a long groan.</p><p>"Tired?"</p><p>"What, nah."</p><p>"You really shouldn't have gone back to the sea by yourself."</p><p>"Look, I'm fine, I've got all my fingers and toes, see?" Yagami flopped on his back and wiggled his fingers in the air. "And you get a fish dinner, so what's there to complain about?"</p><p>They lapsed into silence. Yamato's fingers deftly worked the knife across the bark of each branch until they had six whittled to sharp points. He hesitated, then started working on a seventh, just in case one of the six broke.</p><p>The cloudy sky looked almost black, and a breeze had kicked up, fresh and cool. Something about it reminded him of the Shimane countryside. Of course, back home there were no jungles. Sitting on hard, lumpy earth, though - the repetitive motion of sliding a knife over a strip of wood, campfire smoke wafting in the air, the quietude, the uncomplicated companionship -</p><p>"My old man taught me," he said.</p><p>Yagami's eyes had glazed over. He looked half-asleep already, arms tucked behind his head and legs sticking out straight. When Yamato spoke he gave a slight jolt and peered upward. "... Your dad taught you how to whittle?"</p><p>Yamato nodded, wondering why he was sharing this. Yagami pushed himself into a sitting position with a curious look, and he couldn't think of a way to avoid going on. "We go camping whenever he needs a break from work," he continued. "He's got an RV."</p><p>Yagami whistled. "The only camping I've ever done is the class trip."</p><p>"Tokyo isn't known for its great camping spots."</p><p>"Ha, no."</p><p>Picking up the roasting sticks, Yamato stood. "Next time tell me when you're going off somewhere."</p><p>Yagami's lips pinched. "I get that you think we're all so inexperienced compared to you, but I'm not some helpless two-year-old.""</p><p>"That's not - two people can get a job done twice as fast, that's all."</p><p>He took a step into the cave.</p><p>"... Oh. That's what this is about?"</p><p>Yamato faltered.</p><p>"You could have just said you wanted to come with."</p><p>"Would you have listened?"</p><p>"Someone had to watch over the cave though."</p><p>Yamato only nodded, a little annoyed with himself. That morning he'd had plenty to say, when Yagami insisted on trusting Ogremon, a villain who'd tried to kill them multiple times. Now that it turned out Ogremon hadn't been lying, and Yagami made good on his vow to defeat MetalTyrannomon, Yamato felt... not quite speechless, but less inclined to argue.</p><p>Then Yagami clapped a hand on his shoulder. He should have shrugged it off. Yamato didn't much go for physical contact. But, as usual, Yagami somehow managed to flip all the rules he'd carefully laid out for himself on their head. "Hey. Next time let's go together."</p><p>He grinned again.</p><p>In the end, no one knew whether there would even be a next time. Tomorrow they would split up after all. Yamato mulled over their plan as they pierced the fish on the sticks and set them over the fire. The sweet potatoes were rich and buttery. The roasted fish flaked apart between his fingers, not very meaty, but still a welcome change from canned soup and hardtack. He spat the bones into the ashes. Around him, the others bubbled over with talk and laughter, as if this were just another mountainside camping trip, and not another step toward the fight of their lives.</p><p>Takeru was counting on him. He couldn't afford to get distracted.</p><p>But it was late, and Yagami's head bumped against his shoulder as he started to nod off, loosening his grip on his stick enough that his partner could quickly snap up the remains of his fish before anyone noticed.</p><p>One night with these people wouldn't hurt, Yamato thought.</p><p>He should probably get around to learning their names.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading and your kind comments and kudos! It's more fun than I thought to write in reboot-verse!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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